"A cemetery may be considered as abandoned when all or practically all of the bodies have been Removed therefrom and no bodies have been buried therein for a great many years, and the cemetery has been so long neglected as entirely to lose its identity as such, and is no longer known, recognized and respected by the public as a cemetery. 1953 OAG 2978."

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sandi Litzenberg 'introduced' me to a person she learned about named Alma Shambarger and told me "she lived in 3 centuries." I didn't want to believe it at first until Sandi sent photographs of the Shambarger monument.

Sandi wrote:

"I also have a photo of a headstone of a woman who lived in 3 different
centuries.. the 19th, 20th & 21st centuries.. I believe she lived to
be 104??.".

"her stone was already pre-dated, probably when her
husband died, with the death date of 19-- and they had to inscribe next
to that the 2002.. it caught my eye so I took a few pictures.."

Two views of the gray granite monument erected for Alma F. (Wasnich) Shambarger and her husband, Galen W. Shambarger, buried at Floral Grove Cemetery, West Unity, Williams County, Ohio.

Photograph courtesy of Sandi Litzenberg.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is an obituary for Alma F. Shambarger as it appeared in "The Toledo Blade" on Saturday, December 14, 2002. This obituary is taken from the website of "infonewsbank.com" from a search via the Cleveland Public Library website's premium resources section:

"CENTENARIAN KNOWN FOR APPLE DOLLS"

Blade, The (Toledo, OH) - Saturday, December 14, 2002

Author: Blade

Alma Faye
Shambarger
[1899-2002], who was known for making apple dolls and speaking at
area churches and schools, died Wednesday of complications
from bronchitis at Harborside Healthcare in Bryan. She was 103.
Mrs.
Shambarger
graduated from West Unity High School in 1916 and married Galen
Shambarger
a year later. He died in 1971.

The couple lived in Detroit for five years, then moved to Chicago. They lived there until 1963, when Mr.
Shambarger
retired and they returned to West Unity.

Mrs.
Shambarger
worked part time for 26 years as a beauty counselor for Vanda Cosmetics in Chicago. She visited people's homes to give
makeovers and teach women about skin care. "She was kind of ahead of her time with the skin care," said her grandson, Russell
Pritchett.
While living in Chicago, she was a member and secretary of the Federated Woman's Club from 1927 to 1942. After returning
to West Unity, she spoke at churches and clubs about her experiences in Chicago.

She also gave talks on the history of her ancestors settling in the West Unity area. Her great-grandfather, a preacher,
rode on horseback around the settlements in the region.
Mrs.
Shambarger
was featured in a local newspaper in the 1970s for her expertise making apple dolls. The dolls had padded bodies and
carved dried apples for heads.
"She made the clothes for these dolls out of her parents' and grandparents' clothes," her grandson said. "They looked
pretty authentic."

Mrs.
Shambarger
enjoyed taking train trips to Colorado and the West Coast. Her husband was a railroad detective, so she had access to
discount train passes.
She belonged to West Unity United Methodist Church and the Jefferson Township Garden Club. Mrs.
Shambarger
was a staunch Democrat who was vocal about her political views, her grandson said.
Surviving are two grandsons, a great-granddaughter, and two great-great-grandsons. A son, Russell, died in 1970.

Services will be at 10 a.m. today in the Hollingshead Beck Funeral Home in West Unity. The family requests tributes
to Harborside Healthcare in Bryan.

Champaign County Preservation Alliance

Historic Markers at Ohio Cemeteries

Side by Side Comparison of a Gravestone Polished with a Power Tool

This gravestone was repaired, cleaned, and polished sometime in 2013 - 2014. While the repair work to the cracks appears to have been done in an acceptable manner, however, the unnaturally bright white and shiny highly polished surface finish is indicative of other gravestones in this cemetery that have been known to be polished using a Nyalox Brush on a Power Drill. This gravestone had clear deeply carved lettering and motif that were diminished by the abrasiveness of the use of a power tool. Using power tools on gravestones is not condoned by nationally recognized professional gravestone organizations and their conservators such as NCPTT and A.G.S.

Linda Ellis and Original Gravestone of Harmon Limes, Jr.

At the Champaign County Ohio Historical Society Museum - October 6, 2013

Ohio Township Association

Photo of the Month - March 2017

The Graveyard Rabbit

A member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits - Logo design courtesy of Footnotemaven

A Forgotten Gravesite

A Forgotten Veteran

Do Not Add Paint to Granite Grave Markers

Peeling paint on a granite grave marker

Do Not Move Gravestones Away from Their Original Gravesites

Don't move a gravestone away from its original gravesite even if it is broken. Once the 'stones are no longer over the bones' it can be impossible to know for sure where they should be; and the actual location of the burial and gravesite is uncertain because the stone was moved away from it.

Detrimental Effects from Nyalox Nylon Brush Use on a Gravestone Can be Seen in a Few Short Years

From Brad Manzenberger: "Critics of D2 have questioned its use because "we don't know what it is going to do to the stone in 50 years." What they never seem to question is what Nyalox brushes on drills will do to a stone in 50 years. The answer to both questions is that we do not know. However, I can show example after example of stones cleaned with Nyalox within the last decade that may actually look worse in some cases than they did before any work was done. This is at Livezey Cemetery, Prairie Twp., Henry Co., IN."

"Buried Beneath Cleveland : Lost Cemeteries of Cuyahoga County" By William G. Krejci

GRAVESTONE PRESERVATION SUPPLIERS

"SAVING MISS EMILY" BY JONATHAN APPELL

RAPID ASSESSMENT FORM

Cemetery Assessment Form from the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training

PRESERVING AND RESTORING BRONZE GRAVE MARKERS AND MEMORIALS

Bronze Grave Markers:

Dennis Montagna, Historian at the National Park Service:For those who have questions on the subject of bronze grave markers and memorials, please contact Mr. Dennis Montagna, Historian at the National Park Service at his email address below to ask questions for one-on-one guidance for their care and restoration: